poisoned with iricin, which wer sent topresidentobamaandsenatorrogerwicker. eamon javers has the latest on the ricin scare. >> reporter: we've had a flurry of suspicious package incidents in washington here today. earlier today, the hallway right behind me here in the russell senate office building was actually closed off and a bomb squad moved in to investigate a suspicious package that was there. also, staffers received an e-mail alert, not to go anywhere near the third floor of the hart senate office earlier today because of a suspicious package incident over there. some members of congress reporting suspicious letters, including senator carl levin, who said that a letter was delivered to his saginaw, michigan, office. he said in a statement a minute ago that a staffer there has been sent to the hospital on a precautionary basis. that staffer hasn't developed any symptoms of ricin poisoning. and then, of course, over at the white house today, they said they had a suspicious package incident of their own as well. here's press secretary jay carney earlier today. >> there was

leader harry reid voted no. that's procedural so he can vote to reverse the vote. it'sasenatetechnique.president obama will be making remarks in the rose garden right there at 5:30 eastern, a few minutes from now. casey hunt and howard fineman. casey, you and i have been -- you've been helping me on the phone the last couple of days. it looks to me a pretty dreary result in that it looked like it was moving up before the horror in boston a week or two. i'm not sure, did it ever look to you like it was going to reach 60 and then fell back? or was it never really close enough to 60 to make it? >> the point at which we -- the mood up here said that it could reach 60 was really that vote that they held to start debate on the gun bill. that got more republican votes than folks up here had expected. it's kind of been a downhill slide ever since then. this coat, there were many more republicans this time around as you just showed who voted no on manchin/toomey at the end of the day, even though they voted to start this debate. >> then it goes back to howard and i. howard, you don't think tha

. >>> and time now for a look ahead for you. tonightpresidentobamaonceagain has dinner with lawmakers, this time with 12 democratic senators. the white house says the president is building support for his proposals on the budget, guns and immigration. >>> and in illinois, a funeral will be held for a u.s. diplomat killed in afghanistan. 25-year-old anne smedinghoff died in a suicide bomb april 6th. >>> natalie morales is live in boston after the deadly marathon attack. and more of savannah's exclusive interview with president obama. keep it on this channel for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui. thanks for watching "early today" just your first stop of the day on your nbc station. have a good one. >>> she with was all smiles. couldn't have had a better daughter. >> as police continue to search for answers, we're learning new details this morning about the three people who died in the bombings in boston. we'll bring you the latest next. >> plus, we'll update you on the condition of the young martinez b boy. >>> outage affecting all of south santa clara county. when things c